Loneliness in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis: Relationship with disease activity and psychosocial factors

Year 2022, Volume: 15 Issue: 2, 253 - 262, 31.08.2022

Mustafa Erkut Önder , Adem Yıldırım

https://doi.org/10.26559/mersinsbd.1096607

Abstract

Objective: Loneliness is a very common condition that intensifies with chronic diseases and pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the loneliness in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to analyze its relationship with disease activity and psychosocial status. Method: Forty-four patients with RA whose disease onset age was over 60 years and 44 control were included in the study. Sociodemographic characteristics, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and UCLA Loneliness Scale short form (ULS-8) scores were recorded for all participants. In addition, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein values, Visual Analog Scale-pain, Disease Activity Score, and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores of patients with RA were recorded. Results: Patients with RA had higher depression scores, ULS-8 scores, and lower perceived social support scores compared to controls, but there was no difference found between the two groups in terms of anxiety. Both loneliness and perceived social support were correlated with BDI, BAI, and HAQ scores in patients with RA. It was determined that the anxiety and depression scores were higher, perceived social support was lower, and loneliness was higher in the active disease group compared to the patients in remission. Conclusion: Loneliness is related with depression, perceived social support, functional status and disease activity in late-onset RA patients. Loneliness, a factor that increases morbidity in elderly individuals, is more severe in patients with late-onset RA.

Keywords

Loneliness, anxiety, depression, social support, late-onset rheumatoid arthritis

Geç başlangıçlı romatoid artritli hastalarda yalnızlık hissi: Hastalık aktivitesi ve psikososyal faktörler ile ilişkisi

Abstract

Amaç: Yalnızlık hissi, kronik hastalıklar ve ağrılı durumlar ile şiddeti artan, oldukça yaygın görülen bir durumdur. Bu çalışmanın amacı, geç başlangıçlı romatoid artritli (RA) hastalarda yalnızlık hissinin araştırılması ve yalnızlık hissi ile hastalık aktivitesi ve psikososyal durum arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesidir. Yöntem: Çalışmaya hastalık başlangıç yaşı 60 ve üzeri olan 44 RA'lı hasta ve 44 kontrol dahil edildi. Tüm katılımcıların sosyodemografik özellikleri, Beck Depresyon Ölçeği (BDÖ) ve Beck Anksiyete Ölçeği (BAÖ), Çok Boyutlu Algılanan Sosyal Destek Ölçeği ve UCLA Yalnızlık Ölçeği kısa formu (ULS-8) skorları kaydedildi. Ek olarak RA’lı hastaların eritrosit sedimantasyon hızı ve C-reaktif protein değerleri, Görsel Analog Skala-ağrı, Hastalık Aktivite Skoru ve Sağlık Değerlendirme Anketi (HAQ) skorları kaydedildi. Bulgular: RA’lı hastalarda kontrollerle karşılaştırıldığında depresyon skorları ile ULS-8 skorları daha yüksek ve algılanan sosyal destek skorları daha düşüktü ancak anksiyete açısından iki grup arasında fark yoktu. RA'lı hastalarda hem yalnızlık hem de algılanan sosyal destek BDÖ, BAÖ ve HAQ skorları ile korelasyon göstermekteydi. Aktif hastalığı olan grupta remisyona giren hastalara göre anksiyete ve depresyon puanlarının daha yüksek, algılanan sosyal desteğin daha düşük ve yalnızlık hissinin daha fazla olduğu belirlendi. Sonuç: Geç başlangıçlı RA hastalarında yalnızlık hissi; depresyon, algılanan sosyal destek, fonksiyonel durum ve hastalık aktivitesi ile ilişkilidir. Yaşlı bireylerde morbiditeyi artıran bir faktör olan yalnızlık, geç başlangıçlı RA’lı hastalarda daha şiddetli olmaktadır.

Keywords

yalnızlık, anksiyete, depresyon, sosyal destek, geç başlangıçlı romatoid artrit

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